


Watching from the shadows

by Snowfall66



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Artistic License, F/M, Fluff, I want everyone to be happy, Love, M/M, PJO, Percabeth with a sprinkling of Solangelo, Shadow Travel (Percy Jackson), Sweet, doctors orders, proposal, slightly off cannon, sue me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:48:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24591094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowfall66/pseuds/Snowfall66
Summary: The day after the war against Gaia Nico is in the infirmary and Percabeth are gods know where.Little oneshot with a couple of good feelings to maybe make you smile.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Katie Gardner/Travis Stoll, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 7
Kudos: 52





	Watching from the shadows

Nico's POV

After one night in the infirmary, I was already losing my mind. Every time I tried to do so much as sit up William Solace was inexplicably there and I was about five seconds away from either hitting him or kissing that stupid smile off his face… I didn’t say that.

By 10 o’clock I was so bored I found myself watching the clean up outside. Will told me that the Camp Jupiter legionnaires had stayed the night, some in the cabins, some in the big house and a few camped out in the arena, and now they were mixed in with the campers, moving bodies and destroying Octavian’s siege weapons. The site was depressing even to me but I noticed things that only people in the shadows can notice.

Katie and Travis stayed closer than they ever had, so did Jason and Piper, Hazel and Frank (who I reminded myself to talk to), Malcolm and, a sweet daughter of Demeter, Evangeline as well. Everyone seemed to be paring up, gravitating towards those that gave them the most comfort. I forced myself not to think about the run-in with Cupid less than a week ago and I convinced myself not to think about William in the next room with his other patients. So my mind wandered to what was familiar which is what brought me to the realisation that had me calling for Will.

“Will! Will!”

The son of Apollo ran in and I tried my best not to notice his tired expression and the bags under his eyes. He pulled out his stethoscope fussing over me like some sort of distressed puppy.

“What is it? Where does it hurt? Squeeze my hand?”

Ignoring the way my heart flipped when he pressed his hand into mine I waved him away from me.

“I’m fine, I'm fine, I just…”

He stared at me with a look that said ‘Im waiting for a good explanation’ and I rolled my eyes.

“For Hades sake has anyone seen Percy and Annabeth”

Will went to say something, probably to tell me off, but instead he paused. He thought for a second and I watched the wheels in his head turning until he suddenly turned and opened the window. 

“Malcolm!” The blonde called and Malcolm came over looking confused Evangeline not far behind him.

“What's up?”

“Have you seen Percy and Annabeth?”

“No Annabeth didn’t sleep in her bed last night, figured she stayed with Percy in his cabin”

“They weren’t at breakfast were they?”

Will had phrased it like a question but it was a statement. So it was at this point that I sighed and got out of bed.

“Um, where do you think you are going?” Will said hands on his hips.

“Making sure that idiot isn't about to start another bloody war,” I grumbled unwilling to admit it was also to check on the couple themselves.

“If you shadow travel Nico, so help me…” I cut him off halfway through by fading into the dark and I found out later that Malcolm had made some comment about a marital spat before being whisked away by an apologising Evangeline.

Meanwhile, I found myself in Cabin 2 and wobbled slightly feeling a bit faint. I was mildly annoyed that such a small distance was able to drain me before I noticed that the cabin was empty and the bed clearly hadn’t been slept in. Frowning, I travelled again.

I checked the Athena cabin, the woods, the arena, the border even the big house and nothing except a trail of people saying Will was looking for me. I was about to run out of energy when I tried one last place.

Apparently, when Festus became a dragon again, the Argo 2 survived (ish) and it now sat like a large celestial bronze wreck on the beach. I appeared in a corner in the empty stables leaning against the wall heavily my vision swimming so much it took a few minutes before I realised what I was looking at.

Percy Jackson, on the floor in a tumble of pillows, sheets and blankets with his girlfriend. He led half propped up with a few pillows Annabeth’s head on his shoulder one hand lazily, ghosted over Annabeth's arm gently. To make the scene even more sickeningly sweet I noticed that they were holding hands on Percy's stomach, griping to each other like they were going to be ripped apart if they let go for more than a second.

I should have left as soon as I arrived or at least made my presence known but instead, I stood in the shadows watching what I was sure was meant to be a private moment. Thinking about them as a couple should of been weird, I left so quickly after the second Titan war and I wasn't around to see much of the build-up, but it was as if this was always where they were heading, Percy and Annabeth would always be 'Percy and Annabeth' and this was just the next step in their lives together. That's one of the things you notice from the shadows, how dynamics shift and change or just grow.

I was thinking about this when Percy broke the silence. 

“I love you…”

The blonde whispered her reciprocation as if she was not quite ready to let go of the peaceful silence but Percy wasn’t finished.

“That life in new Rome as a somewhat-semi-normal-ish couple… I want that for us”

That made her giggle.

“We’re not a normal couple Percy... we met the day you killed the minotaur and it just got less normal from then on.” 

This time Percy chuckled and kissed his girlfriend's head.

“No, I s’pose we’re not… but I think we deserve a little taste of it after two wars, six quests, too many battles to count and a trip through… well… you know…”

They went quiet and if possible got closer together, which I didn’t blame them for. Neither of them had spoken about their Tartarus experience but I know what it’s like… I know the nightmares. In my head, I thanked the god's that they had each other the whole time, in my heart, I wished someone had been there for me.

“Seven”

Annabeth broke the silence carefully making Percy give her one of his signature ‘I don’t have a clue whats going on’ looks.

“We’ve been on seven quests seaweed brain”

Percy broke into a grin and chuckled kissing her cheek.

“Wise girl… I love you… and I love our ridiculous family and our manic lives…”

Percy shifted guiding Annabeth to stand up with him and holding onto her hand.

“So the point I’m trying to make is…”

He pulled something out of his pocket and knelt down on one knee presenting what I was pretty sure by this point was an engagement ring. I wasn’t close enough to see it properly but there was a glint of sea green and I’m sure I could see some sparkling grey too.

“We have faced almost everything side by side and there is no other way I want to live… So Annabeth Chase before the next war or prophecy or life-threatening cock-up from the gods, no offence guys, I have to know… will you continue in this perfectly chaotic life with me as a Jackson?”

Annabeth had tears rolling down her face and looked to be somewhere between a state of shock and on cloud nine. She left it just long enough that even I was on the edge of my seat… wall… before nodding her head furiously.

“Yes, yes, of course, you complete seaweed brain”

Percy released the breath he must have been holding and jumped up to slide the ring onto Annabeth’s finger before kissing her both gently and passionately at the same time then, in true Percy Jackson fashion, he started dancing her around the stables in a childlike happy dance. Annabeth laughed as he spun her into his chest and pressed their lips together.

I didn't have the smarts of an Athena kid and I sure as hell was no Aphrodite kid but watching them laughing and smiling, probably for the first time since the battle yesterday, I knew this was right. This was what true love looked like and... I wanted it.  
I walked back into the infirmary an hour after I left as a baffled Will stared, mouth agape.

“Close your mouth Sunshine, you’ll catch flies”

I paused for a second and Will's mouth snapped shut. I watched annoyance flash across his face along with several other emotions I couldn’t quite catch but that didn’t all look bad.

“I swear to Hades if you don’t get the HELL BACK IN THAT BED!”

I hurried back to my room unwillingly scared for my life but secretly grinning. At that point, I knew it was time to start letting go of all the pain and anger I’d held on to for so long and look for that little bit of normal that I think all demi-gods deserve.

Maybe it was time to stop watching from the shadows and start living in the light.

**Author's Note:**

> READ THIS!!!!
> 
> Hey guys, so if your a fan of the Percy Jackson universe or are just getting into it my BFF has set up a Camp Half-Blood discord. It's super cool and each cabin has its own server and there are camp counsellors and everything. We have a lot of fun and talk about other fandoms as well.  
> (If you're a fan of my PRIDE@Beacon story the vibe is much the same as that just online.)  
> Go ahead and comment if you want to join everyone's welcome!!


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